Machine for scutching flax or like plant stalks



y M. AlsoaNEus MACHINE FOR SCUTCHING FLAX 0R LIKE PLANT STALKS 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15, 1938 Akbar/2e y 1940- M. A. SOENENS 2,207,900

MACHINE FOR SCUTCHING FLAX 0R LIKE PLANT STALKS I Filed 1390.15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet z- Invenlor. Ma r1}?! A508 Soc/78! 5 2; JAM

Patented July 16, v

PATENT, oFFics MACHINE FOR SCUTCHING FLAX OR LIKE PLANT STALKS Y I Maurice Alois Soenens, Harelbcke,

signor to The Automatic Flax Production Oourtrai, Belgium, a Belgian company December 15,1938, In Belgium January 4,

' application 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to a machine for v scutching flax, hemp, ramie or other textile plants, of the kind in which use is made of one or two pairs of. elongated scutching mills rotating one in the other in opposite directions and of which the blades or other scutching members follow each other in rapid sequence and work the stalks introduced'in the direction .of their length in such manner as to clean them. t These machines have the following disadvanages:

When a descending blade passes the point where the two drums penetrate most one into the other whilst remaining in engagement with the lap of stalks which it treats, this blade carries the lap with it and removes it more and more from the fleld of action of the opposite mill. When a little time afterwards the blade, which has effected its work, releases this lap and the following blade making part of the other .drum begins to work, the latter blade has before it a lap which is free but which is badly placed owing to the fact that it is more'or less carried externally of the orbit of the blade which commencesits work. The result is that the scutching member commences by sliding over a length of stalk of about to cm. before it is able to eflect its operation of notching. Afterwards, this notch,

upon which actually depends theuseful eflect of Y 3 the scutching, is at first slightly and then more extremities which have had time to sharply fold round as a consequence of bending or whipping. There results a very unequal stripping which from zero at the commencement continues to increase and becomes excessive at the end, so that the extremities of the stalks, already less resistant by their nature, are easily removed,; whilst the centre is only slightly scutched, if at all, and must be rescutched a second time.

The present invention overcomes this disadvantage and comprises the arrangement behind each blade or other scutching member of a heel, beater orother similar member, preferably in metal, which has for its purpose. to carry as far the diameters oithe drums as'alao upon thenumber and arrangementoi the blades.

pronounced, and finally very pronounced at the as possible into the orbit of the oppomte mill, the lap of flax or other material released by the de- Beltlum. as-

Unitl,

Serial No. 245,889

-'The heel, may be formed, for example, by a metal plate carrying the blade being bent backward to form a heeLor'it may be carried by a separate arm and in this case actually becomes a blade or paddle.

In practice the extremity of the heel or of the paddle should be asv close as possible to the scutching member of the opposite mill when operating.

In the case of utilising a paddle, the latter may be movable and may for example oscillate about a pivot or about the arm which carries it so as to vary the distance which separates it from the scutching member.

This member (heel or paddle) isiurthermore of a width suflicient to produce in front of it a current of air. It consequently acts both by direct contact and by the action of this current of 'air.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, which show by way of example, how the invention maybe carried out in practice.

Fig. 1 is a cross-section view of two-cooperating mills in which the individual scutching members and heels are formed in one piece;

Fig. 2 is a similar view in which the scutching heel.

In Figure lot the drawings l and 2 indicate two extended mills rotating one within the otherin opposite directions andeach comprising a shaft 3 surrounded by hubs 4 on which are fixed arms 5 which carry metal plates i, on which are Fig. 4 is a similar view showing an adjustable flxed blades 1 constituting the scutching mem-' bers. The latter are intended to act alternately on the flax which is freely suspended and which is supported by a conveyor 8- of any known type.

According to the invention, the metal plates i upper blade of the opposite mill, as the lower blade exerts its action.

Asshown by Figures 2 and 3, illustrating the scutching members in two successive positions. the heel may be constituted by a separate paddle II which is arrangedbehind e'achblade I and carrying the blades 1 are bent-backward so asto form a heel O which is intended to bring back. in a reliable manner the lap oi fibres under the which is carried by a separate arm II also fixed on the hub 6.

The blades 1' are carried, as in Figure 1, by arms 5. v

In each of the embodiments, the heel 9 or the paddle l describes the same circumference or approximately the same circumference as the blade which it follows and the distance which separates it from this blade depends upon the diameters of the drums as also upon the number and the arrangement of the blades.

It will beadvantageous in practice to be able to regulate the distance which separates the heel or the paddle from the blade which precedes it and to this end the paddle I0 is made movable as shown by Figure 4, by providing a pivot id about which it can oscillate. This pivot it is generally carried by the arm II. Seeing that this oscillation is interfered with by the casing it, it is advisable to provide a slot in the paddle in such manner as to cause it to slide slightly before and after the oscillation.

'I'he heel or the paddle is of sumcient width to create in front of it a current of air which is directed as shown by the arrows, and the heel or paddle thus acts both by contact and by the action of this current of air.

As shown by Figure l the metal plate 6 may be bored with apertures l2 and as shown by Fi ures 2, 3 and 4, the space between a blade I and a paddle 'l llmay be filled up by strips I3 so as to create passages for the air and consequently 3. As scutching or stripping elements blades of any shape and arrangement may be used, for

2,207,900 stalks formed or two mills, each comprising one set 01' scutching members, each set being on separate rotary shaits and adapted to rotate in overlapping orbits, -means' intermediate the individual scutching members and rotating therewith adapted by their angular positions to clear as they enter their overlapping orbits the scutching members in the other mill by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the scutched material and to extend to the maximum distance into the orbit of the other mill, the said intermediate means being formed integral with the next preceding scutching memtherewith adapted by their angular positions to clear as they enter their overlapping orbits thescutching members in the other mill by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the scutched material and to extend to the maximum distance into the orbit of the other mill,

the said intermediate means being continuations of the scutching members and formed by their being bent backward to form a heel.

3. In a machine for scutching flax or like plant stalks formed of two mills, each comprising one set of scutching members, each set being on separate rotary shafts and adapted to rotate in overlapping orbits, means intermediate the individual scutching members in each set adapted to keep the material being scutched in intimate contact with a scutching member of the other set throughout substantially all of the I are of the overlapping orbits, the said intermediate means comprising paddles slidably mounted on separate arms secured to said shafts.

4. In a machine for scutchingflax or like plant stalks formed of two mills, each comprising one set oi scutching membersprovided with holes therethrough, each set being on separate rotary shafts and adapted to rotatein overlapping orbits, means intermediate the individual scutch ing members in each set adapted to keep the material being scutched in intimate contact with a scutching member of the other set throughout substantially. all 01' the arc of the overlapping orbits, the said intermediate members being adapted to cooperate with the scutching members whereby the air passing through the holes in said scutching members is directed in a concentrated form against the scutched material.

MAURICE ALOIS SOENENS. 

